Malaysia's second busiest airport and the main gateway to Sabah and situated around 7 km (4 mi) from the city centre. There are two terminals in the airport, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Terminal 1 serves full-service airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, Asiana Airlines, etc. while Terminal 2 serves budget airlines such as AirAsia and Cebu Pacific.
Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are located on different sides of the runway, so it is not advisable to walk between terminals as it is quite far from each other (but if you insist, the journey might take about 50 minutes). There are infrequent (every hour or so) shuttle buses between the terminals with tickets available from counters inside the respective arrivals areas at RM 5. The most convenient way is by taxi which costs RM 30 (prices dated Apr 2015). Terminal 1 is accessible from from Jalan Kepayan near Kepayan and Terminal 2 is accessible from Jalan Mat Salleh in Tanjung Aru.
There are ATMs and a currency exchange in Terminal 1 and 2 of the airport but if you're arriving late it will almost certainly be closed and the ATMs are not always working. Make sure you've got some Malaysian ringgit before you arrive as you'll need it for the taxi or the bus.
RIP OFF WARNING: The exchange rates offered at the airport by the "CIMB Bank" money changer are basically theft. Visiting in April, 2015, the downtown rate was 3.54 Ringitt per USD. This money changer was offering 3.00 or 18% worse, but only for 100 dollar bills! For 20-50 USD bills they offered 2.60 or 27% worse, and for smaller bills 2.20 or 38% worse than a fair exchange rate. They also do not display their rates. The other bank had a decent rate offering 3.45, but only for 50 and 100 USD bills! Their rates for 1-20 were also 2.60. Unfortunately arriving after 6 PM, only the rip-off money changer was open. If you arrive without any ringgits after 6pm, just get enough for a bus ticket and go downtown to Centre Point or at Wisma Merdeka where they will give you a fair rate. Note even at Centre Point the money changers were really unflexible and only one had US dollars in stock, so exchanging money in this city can be a major headache. If you can either bring Ringit beforehand or use an ATM to avoid the money changers.
Airport Bus
The new big Airport Buses make commuting to and from downtown much cheaper compared to the past, particularly for single travellers, thus avoiding the nasty transport Mafia that has ruled KK for decades. Airport Buses leave the Airport roughly at every full hour, starting at 08:00, last bus will leave the airport at 20:30 (as of Dec 2015). The ticket price is RM 5 for adults and RM 3 for children. The Airport Bus has ticket booths easily visible after you leave the arrival areas of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. The ride begins at Terminal 1, from there to Terminal 2 (which means there is now even a shuttle available between the two Terminals), and then to downtown. Currently Three stops are being served in downtown, first is Center Point, then onwards to Horizon Hotel, and terminating at Padang Merdeka (Merdeka Square). Same route back, which means Terminal 2 is being served before Terminal 1. IMPORTANT: Take notice that the drop-off points are NOT THE SAME as the pick-up points at Horizon Hotel and Center Point !!! The drop off point for Horizon is at the main entrance of the hotel in Jalan Pantai, whereas the pick-up point is at an official Bus-stop at the back of Horizon Hotel along Jalan Tun Razak (the main thoroughfare through KK). Same goes for the Centerpoint stop, the Bus will drop you right in front of the Centerpoint building, but pick you up at an official Bus-Stop opposite, along Jalan Coastal (which is the same main street as Jl. Tun Razak but just has a different name a few hundred Meters down), in front of a building with a big sign "KLINIK PERGIGIAN" (dentist clinic), at the South-Western end of Centerpoint, near ApiApi Center. At both stops there are BIG SIGNS "Airport Bus" with the schedule displayed, so if you do not see such signs at the Bus stop, you are not waiting at the right place. From downtown KK, the service starts at 07:00, then at 09:00 and after that hourly. The last Bus leaves Merdeka Square at 20:00. From the Airport, the first Bus leaves at 08.00. (Terminal 1, then going to Terminal 2) for downtown and then roughly hourly. Tickets can be bought at the Airport counters at T1 and T2, and the Terminal at Merdeka Square. If you board at Horizon hotel or Centerpoint, you pay the driver directly (don't forget to ask for the ticket as Malaysian Bus drivers have a strong habit to channel the fares into their own pockets, particularly from non-locals)
By minibus
Bus 16c stops at terminal 2 (the Low Cost Carrier Terminal), right outside the north-most entrance into the terminal where all cars drops passengers off (there is no bus sign or anything though). The bus cost RM1.50 and goes to the Kota Kinabalu bus terminal, Terminal Wawasan. The bus only goes once an hour or so and the schedule is highly irregular. The last bus leaves at about 5:30PM-6PM.
For terminal 1, Minibus No. 17, Kota Kinabalu-Putatan buses, will bring you to the city. Minbuses are available along the main road away from the airport and the bus stop is next to the footbridge. Cost RM1.50 each way, will stop you at the south end of the City Centre, at Terminal Wawasan. It is around 1 km to the centre.
From Terminal Wawasan, you can take City Bus into the city centre for RM0.50.
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